Collar



c. M. RIICHTERP COLLAR,

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1 9 1 9.

Patentefi Sept 21, 1920.

UNl'liElD STATES FATEN'E' CEFECE.

CHARLES M. RICHTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COLLAR.

Application filed May 3, 1919.

invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to collars and has for its prime object the provision of safety and comfort to the wearer.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Ihave illustrated my present improvements in a collar of the well-known turn down type, but the same may be applied to collars of other forms.

The modern shirt for men is almost invariably of the coat type, that is, open in front, and the overlapping ends of the neckband are held together by a collar button.

l/Vhen the ordinary collar is secured to the neckband of the shirt in the usual way, that is with the collar button which projects through the neckband parts, the base of the collar button rests against the wearers skin. l/Vhen this collar button part is of low-grade metal or is not finished smooth, or is of various kinds of composition, the wearers skin often becomes discolored, abraded and sometimes infected by the rubbing and the chemical products formed on the surface of the button in the presence of the secretions of the skin. It will be found upon inquiry that the vast majority of collar buttons used are of the comparatively cheap kinds, made of base metals or alloys with a thin covering of gold or imitation gold which soon wears off, while many others are of cheap composition which are pressed to shape and are usually unfinished or poorly finished, presenting rough surfaces and sharp edges.

Furthermore, the overlapped neckband of the shirt in front presents to the wearers neck a rough surface where the innermost portion of the band ends. The band has material thickness, and there is a marked irregularity of the inner surface at the joint. This is also a source of irritation and discomfort, although long familiarity with it causes it largely to be ignored. Collar and neck-band parts are not comfortable at best, and the general discomfort around the Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented Sept, 21, 1920.

Serial No. 294,530.

wearers neck is made up of a number of annoying things.

Still further, and importantly, every wearer of collars which are secured by stem collar buttons has many times experienced a decidedly painful pinching of the skin be tween the base of the collar button and the neck-band while securing the collar upon the shirt. Once the skin is so caught the hold is usually tenacious, the discomfort being aoute,and frequently relief can be had only by abandoning the operation and beginnlng anew.

The principal. object of these improvements is to provide a collar in the use of which these several objections to hitherto practice are avoided.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a collar and fragment of a shirt, with the flap constituting these improvements turned back partly to show otherwise hidden parts; Fig. 2 is a rear view of the end of the collar carrying the flap, with the flap turned up; and F ig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

The collar 10 has the usual end portions 11 and 12 formed to overlap each other and containing button holes which register and receive the head 13- and shank 1 1 of the button. The end part 11, which is the first to be secured upon the button, is provided on its rear wall, which is toward the wearers skin, with a protecting flap 15, shown up in Fig. 2, down or in operative position inFig. 3, and partially down in Fig. 1. This flap or cover 15 is suitably formed of the same material, usually linen, as is the collar; It extends preferably to the bottom of the collar at 16 when in operative position, and it is stitched to the collar along its bottom and side edges, as shown by dotted lines 17 in Fig. 2, and a line of stitching at 18 deter flap is so secured that it is free to be turned up entirely out of the Way, as in Fig. 2, When the collar is being applied to the shirt. The stitching at 18 is above the collar band and is preferably on a straight line so that the flap may be moved one way or the other Without puckering.

After the end 11 or" the collar has been applied to the collar button in the usual Way the flap 15 is turned down there being ample linger room for this purpose before the other end of the collar is secured upon the button. In this operative position the flap covers not only the base oi? the button but also the overlapping parts of the neckband -21 and a contiinious substantially regular and even surface thus provided between the several irritating parts mentioned and the Wearers skin.

It is pointed out that the pinching of the skin does not ordinarily occur when the first end of the collar is applied, as there is plenty of room for finger action at that time. To avoid any such possibility, however, the flap may be turned down by the finger While holding the button and other parts during the first operation.

These improvements are equallyvapplicable thereof, the combination therewith of a flap on the inner surface of that end portion of the collar which is firstapplied to the collar button in front, said flap normally overlying the button hole in that end of the collar and having material length and a Width suflicient to reach substantially to the bottom of the neck-band of the shirt when the collar is in normal position thereon, said flap being secured to the collar along a line spaced from the button hole and normally above the neckband of the shirt whereby the flap is free to be moved away from the button hole and will overlie the button and a portion of the neck-band of the wearers shirt When nor mally positioned for use.

CHARLES M. RICHTER. 

